Chapter Ten: What It All Means

            One point that resonated strongly with me from this chapter that so nicely summarized his overall message, is that we have an ethical obligation as educators to teach the literacy of the Read/Write Web.  To my mind, the most compelling reason to do so is that we have all but lost the editor as the middleman who was the gatekeeper to what was allowed to be published and what was not.  Because ANYTHING can be published over the net, it is imperative that we teach our students to be intelligent, discerning readers/editors as they participate in this global exchange of ideas. 

In addition, the magnitude of the amount of information available to anyone with a computer (smart phone, ipad, etc.), makes it necessary for us and our students to learn “how to manage what we consume” (p. 149).  The fact that all of this information is literally at our fingertips requires that we figure out logical ways to organize our data in the various forms in which we choose to engage with the information itself  (i.e. how we obtain it, store it, and disseminate it).   Fortunately, There are many out there who have already figured this out and have begun to figure out ways to do this.  Hopefully they will continue to improve upon them.

Lastly, I am left with an appreciation of the concept that real learning takes place within a conversation about a given topic.  As educators we often remark that we want our students to be actively engaged in learning, not just passive recipients of knowledge.  If they are educated well about the potential the Read/Write Web presents as well as how to discern and guard against misinformation, either deliberate or unintentional, then they certainly will have the tools necessary to be life-long learners.       

Chapter Nine: Social Networks

            To be honest, I have been using Facebook at home for years, and there are only a few features that I like about it.   I use it to communicate with friends (which I do more successfully via e-mail), but what I mostly do it use it to share photographs.  I may be wrong, but it really just seems like a form of blogging.  There are so many gimmicky little polls, games, etc. that I get annoyed with all the clutter. 

            On the other hand, Ning.com might be an easier way to create a “social networking site around a topic” that is relevant to the curriculum I must teach (p. 140).  I especially like the idea that I can start out private until I fully understand how it works and what to expect from my students, then slowly open it up to the public in stages as appropriate and/or needed to meet my set goals.  However, I still feel like I need to try something that someone else has already done, learn from their mistakes, and fully understanding the ins and outs before I think I’ll be able to figure out what I can do with it.  This is all still pretty overwhelming for me. 

Chapter Eight - Podcasting: Video and Screencasting, and Live Streaming

        I don’t doubt for a moment that if a teacher had the necessary equipment and developed the “know how” for how to create podcasts, that it would be a fantastic way to get students actively engaged in the writing process.  The possibilities seem limitless.    I can visualize students podcasting poems, stories, news pieces, book commentaries, news, editorials … the list goes on and on.   Because of the public forum of podcasts, it is would be a strong motivator for students to actively engage in the entire writing process to create quality products to podcast.  In addition, because of the “real-life” feel of the medium (students are very familiar with news shows, radio, etc.) they would most likely be more interested in the work involved to create the podcasts.   Or, as Richardson puts it, when work is “… done for real purposes, for real audiences,” they can have “a meaning beyond the classroom” (p. 122).

        The video publishing component is, as we’ve found with many web-based resources, problematic because of the lack of control over what winds up on sites such as YouTube.com.   I believe that because of how viscerally we respond to action film, particularly when it includes audio (even more so than still photos or printed words), I don’t imagine in the foreseeable future the younger grades having ready access to YouTube in the classroom, despite the fact that they get on it at home.   However, screencasting might be a good alternative for these younger grades.  For example, let’s revisit Flickr and now enhance that already wonderful tool by including voiceovers.  I’ve already had students record over PowerPoint presentations, but it seems that student  “products” can take on so many different layers, both visual and auditory.  In addition, I can get especially excited about the prospect of live streaming with students from the different countries we are studying in World Geography, in the same way that I Skyped with my son while he was studying in Senegal.

       

         

Chapter Seven - Fun With Flickr

            THIS is something I can wrap my mind around and get very excited about!  I love the idea that students can mesh one form of creativity, photography, with another form, writing.  Right away I got onto the “What Can We Do With Flickr?”  site that Richardson recommended to take a peek at some possible projects students could engage in.  I love the idea of using the visual as a springboard for writing pieces that are creative, purely descriptive, informative, etc.  It seems there are so many possibilities!  What makes this more interesting than simply having students write about a photograph they simply upload onto the computer is the annotation tool that can let students zero in on pieces of the whole, but still have the whole intact.  Fun, fun, fun! 

Not only could this be good to use in ELA, but I can see lots of potential for Social Studies as well, as Richardson referred to when discussing annotating Civil War battlefields.   In our World Geography classes students could up load photographs they’ve taken and then annotate the photographs using the five themes of geography.   As they master their understanding of the five themes, they can eventually apply the same knowledge to images they find of places around the world. 

Chapter Six - The Social Web: Learning Together

            This chapter left me a little cold in terms of how I could use it in my sixth-grade classroom.  For one thing, Richardson’s comment that “Twitter is a bit too Wild West” (p. 88) was a huge red flag that this tool wouldn’t work well at my grade level.  Another problem I see is the brevity of the writing that can be done.  While on the surface that may seem great, at this grade level we are working very hard to get students to write more in their responses by providing details and explanations.  Having them write in a format that inhibits that ability seems counter productive.   It seems like a more appropriate tool for the upper grades when you are working to teach students to write more densely. 

            The social bookmarking may have more practical uses for the grade level I teach.  I’ve always believed in the adage, “There’s no need to reinvent the wheel.”  Tagging seems like a great way to piggyback on research other people have done on topics that are relevant to others with the same interests and/or research needs.  I like the idea of using Diigo to tag relevant sites and annotate the sites to guide students as they utilize it.  I’d have to get into it and really figure it out for myself first, but on paper it sounds like it could be a great tool to customize searches for particular classroom/student needs.  

Chapter Five - RSS: The New Killer App for Educators

                I found Richardson’s chapter on RSS answered a major concern I have about the readily available access to so many sources of information; how to narrow it down and organize it.  Having said that, I once again feel I’m on learning overload; so much to learn, and so little time!  The good news is, Richardson gives step by step instructions on how to go about this with the ever appreciated admonition to “start small.”  You better believe I’m all over that!  I also love the idea that after setting up my aggregator(s), it (they) will not only keep me abreast of topics of particular interest to me, but also vastly reduce the amount of time needed to gather that information.  I was already sold on RSS just from Keri’s quick demonstration in class of using RSS to monitor student additions to blogs without having to go into each student’s weblog.  Richardson's thorough discussion of how to do it gives me confidence that with time I’ll be able to utilize this tool effectively.

                In addition to how to use RSS, Richardson’s point that being able to effectively utilize RSS is an indispensable tool for students when learning to disseminate vast amounts of information (p. 73).  This tool then dovetails with the Common Core State Standards Initiative that states that students should “habitually perform the critical reading necessary to pick carefully through the staggering amount of information available today in print and digitally.”  Likewise, Richardson quotes the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) decree that “twenty-first century readers and writers need to manage, analyze, and synthesize multiple streams of simultaneous information” (p. 73).  RSS seems made to order to help students reach these levels of literacy.

Chapter Four - Wikkis: Easy Collaboration for All

            Keri’s having already covered Wikis in class certainly helped me to grasp more of what Richardson was writing about in this chapter.  Like many of the teachers he referred to, I often told (tell) my students not to bother with Wikipedia for information, as it is unreliable due to the fact that anyone can write anything on its pages.  However, his comments about how closely the content being added is scrutinized by many who want accuracy, is a level of policing that I had not considered.  I’m not sure I’m sold on the idea, but I feel more open to checking it out as he suggested.  If I’m convinced, it is quite likely that I’ll start to encourage students to use it after careful discussion and practice in checking for accuracy with them.  Again, they use it anyway (whether we gainsay it or not), so we may as well teach them to be critical/sophisticated users (possibly contributors?) of this tool.

            In particular I was drawn to Richardson’s argument for the use of Wiki’s “… that everyone together is smarter than anyone alone (p. 57).”  More and more the idea of teaching solid collaboration skills using this medium appeals to me.  I think most students will be enticed by the forum for sharing knowledge and thoughts on topics, as well as be motivated by the challenge of making sure their input is correct to the best of their ability, as well as checking the validity of input by people they are collaborating with.  The public forum raises the ante in terms of wanting to do the work well, and learning to work with others to assure success of the overall project, thereby success for all.